New York (Web Desk): Pakistan has warned the international community about the growing threat posed by the Tehreek-e Taliban Pakistan (TTP), which is emerging as the largest terrorist group operating in Afghanistan.
Pakistan’s Deputy Permanent Representative to the United Nations (UN), Usman Jadoon, told the UN Security Council (UNSC) that terrorism within and from Afghanistan presents "the single most serious threat to the country, to the region, and to the world."
While acknowledging that the Afghan Interim Government (AIG) is focused on countering ISIL-K (Daesh), Jadoon emphasized that the threat from other terrorist groups, such as the TTP and al-Qaeda, remains unaddressed.
He pointed out that the TTP, with an estimated 6,000 fighters, poses a direct and daily threat to Pakistan’s security, particularly due to "safe havens close to our border."
Jadoon also highlighted the TTP’s increasing regional influence, claiming that the group is rapidly becoming an umbrella organization for other terrorist factions. He further stated, "With safe havens close to our border, it poses a direct and daily threat to Pakistan’s security."
He expressed concern over the TTP's collaboration with groups like the Majeed Brigade, which targets Pakistan's economic projects, especially the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC).
“Pakistan is actively working to counter the TTP's cross-border operations and has seized modern weapons, some of which were obtained by the AIG from stocks left behind by foreign forces,” Jadoon said.
The Pakistani envoy warned that the TTP’s long-standing ties with al-Qaeda could see it emerge as "Al-Qaeda’s arm with a regional and global terrorist agenda."
While stressing Pakistan’s commitment to eradicating terrorism, Jadoon reiterated that Pakistan would continue to take "all necessary national measures to eliminate these threats," working in partnership with regional and international efforts.
On the humanitarian front, Jadoon condemned the AIG’s recent decision to prohibit women and girls from attending public and private medical institutions, describing it as an intensification of earlier restrictions.
He argued that these measures were "contrary to Islamic precepts, jurisprudence and the Sharia" and called on the international community to hold the AIG accountable for its failure to deliver on promises related to human rights and political inclusion.
In her address, Roza Otunbayeva, the UN Special Representative for Afghanistan, echoed concerns about the repressive policies of the Taliban, particularly regarding women's rights.
She noted that the enforcement of the "Propagation of Virtue and Prevention of Vice Law" has led many to self-regulate their behavior rather than risk punishment. This law has also imposed harsh measures, such as stricter controls on men’s beards and hairstyles, resulting in the closure of barbershops. Otunbayeva emphasized that engagement with the Taliban is "not normalization or recognition," but a strategy to prevent Afghanistan’s isolation and a potential return to conflict.
The international community has been urged to step up its efforts to address the humanitarian crisis in Afghanistan, with 23.7 million people in urgent need of assistance.
Jadoon stressed that Afghanistan’s challenges, including terrorism, human rights abuses, and widespread poverty, not only affect the country itself but also have regional consequences.
He called for a broader framework to address these issues, beyond counter-narcotics and economic development, and for the revival of Afghanistan's banking system and commercial activity.
Pakistan, with its deep cultural, historical, and ethnic ties to Afghanistan, remains keen to see the country reintegrated into the international community.
Jadoon expressed that the "suffering of our Afghan brothers and sisters affects the Pakistani people deeply" and emphasized that no other country is "more eager than Pakistan to see Afghanistan return to the international community’s fold."
